Old/New Testament
Introduction
1 In this document, I,[a] Hacaliah’s son Nehemiah, recount[b] what occurred during the twentieth year of Artaxerxes.[c]
Background
In the month of Chislev,[d] while I was in Shushan at the palace, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with some men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, about those who had survived the Babylonian[e] captivity, and about Jerusalem.
3 They told me, “The survivors of the captivity there in the province are living in great distress and shame. Furthermore, the Jerusalem wall remains broken down and its gates have been burned by fire.”
Nehemiah’s Prayer
4 When I heard this, I sat down and cried, mourning for a number of days while I fasted and prayed in the presence of the God of Heaven. 5 I said, “Please, Lord, God of Heaven, the great and fearsome God who keeps the covenant, showing[f] gracious love to those who love you and keep your commands, 6 please turn your attention to observe carefully and listen to the prayer of your servant today that I am presenting to you day and night on behalf of your servants, the Israelis.
“I confess the sins that we Israelis have committed against you. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have abandoned you by not keeping your commands, your ceremonies, and your judgments that you proscribed to your servant Moses. 8 Please remember what you spoke in commanding your servant Moses. You said,
‘If you rebel, I will scatter you among the nations[g] 9 but if you return to me, keeping my commands and doing them, even if your exiled people are in the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to establish my Name.’[h]
10 These are your servants as well as your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
11 “And now, Lord, I ask you to listen to the prayer of your servant—and to the prayers of your servants who delight in revering your Name. I ask you, please prosper your servant today by granting him to receive favor from this man.”[i]
Now I was the king’s senior security advisor.[j]
Nehemiah’s Conversation with the King
2 It came about in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, during the month of Nissan, the king was about to drink some wine that I was preparing for him.[k] Now I had never looked troubled in his presence.
2 The king asked me, “Why do you look so troubled, since you’re not ill? This cannot be anything else but troubles of the heart.”
Then I was filled with fear. 3 I replied to the king, “May the king live forever. Why shouldn’t I be troubled, since the city where my ancestral sepulchers are located lies waste, with its gates burned by fire?”
4 The king answered, “What do you want?”
So I prayed to the God of heaven 5 and I replied to the king, “If it seems good to you, and if your servant has found favor with you, would you send me to Judah, to the city where my ancestral sepulchers are located, so I can rebuild it?”
6 With his queen seated beside him, the king asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” The king thought it was a good idea[l] to send me, so I presented him with a prepared plan.[m]
7 I also asked the king, “If it seems good to you, order that letters of authorization be given me for the Trans-Euphrates[n] governors, so they will allow me to pass through to Judah, 8 along with a letter to Asaph, the royal Commissioner of Forests, so that he will supply me with timber to craft beams for the gatehouses of the Temple, for the city walls, and for the house in which I will be living.”
The king granted this for me, according to the good hand of my God. 9 So I went to the Trans-Euphrates[o] governors and gave them the king’s letters of authorization. The king also sent army officers and cavalry to accompany me.
Opposition and Inspection
10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and his servant Tobiah the Ammonite heard of this, they were greatly distressed because someone had come to do good for the Israelis. 11 I arrived in Jerusalem and remained there for three days. 12 Then I got up at night, along with a few men with me. I had not confided to any person what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. Furthermore, there was no other animal with me except for the one I was riding.
13 So I went out during the night through the Valley Gate toward Dragon’s[p] Well, and from there to the Dung Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and burned by fire. 14 I proceeded to the Fountain Gate, and then to the King’s Pool, but there wasn’t sufficient clearance for the animal I was riding[q] to pass. 15 I traveled the valley by night to inspect the wall, returning through the Valley Gate. 16 The local officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done—I informed neither the Judeans, nor the priests, nor the nobles, nor the officials, nor any of the rest who would be doing the work.
17 Later I told them, “You all are watching the predicament we’re in, how Jerusalem lies desolate, with its gates burned by fire. Let’s rebuild the Jerusalem wall so we’re no longer a disgrace.” 18 Then I told them how good my God had been to[r] me, and about what the king had told me.
They replied, “Let’s get out there and build!” So they encouraged themselves to do good.
Nehemiah Replies to Sanballat
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, his servant Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard about it,[s] they jeered at us and despised us when they said, “What is this thing that you’re doing? You’re rebelling against the king, aren’t you?”
20 In reply to them, I said, “The God of Heaven will prosper us. That’s why we’re preparing to build. But as far as you’re concerned, there exists no ancestral heritage, no legal right, nor any historic claim in Jerusalem.
Those who Worked on the Wall
3 So Eliashib the high priest came forward, along with his fellow priests, and reconstructed the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and installed its doors. They also consecrated the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2 Men from Jericho did repairs next to him, and Imri’s son Zaccur did repairs next to them.
3 The Fish Gate was repaired by Hassenaah’s sons. They built its framework and installed its doors, including locks and security[t] bars, 4 with Uriah’s son Meremoth (who was also a grandson of Hakkoz) next to them, Berechiah’s son Meshullam (who was also a grandson of Meshezabel) next to them, and next to him Baana’s son Zadok. 5 Next to them the Tekoites worked valiantly, even though their leading officials weren’t fully dedicated[u] to the work of their lord.[v]
6 Paseah’s son Joiada and Besodeiah’s son Meshullam repaired the Old Gate. They built its framework and installed its doors, including locks and security[w] bars. 7 Next to them, Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite were working with men from Gibeon and men from Mizpah under the Trans-Euphrates[x] regional governor. 8 Nearby, Harhaiah’s son Uzziel the goldsmith was carrying on repairs, and next to him Hananiah, a perfume-maker, rebuilt Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
9 Next to him, Hur’s son Rephaiah, ruling official for half of the Jerusalem district, did repairs. 10 Then next to them, Harumaph’s son Jedaiah did repairs opposite his house, and next to him Hashabneiah’s son Hattush carried on repairs. 11 Harim’s son Malchijah and Pahath-moab’s son Hasshub repaired another section, along with the Tower of the Ovens, 12 and next to him Hallohesh’s son Shallum, ruling official for the other[y] half of the Jerusalem district, did repairs, as did his daughters.
13 Hanun and the residents of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate, reconstructing it and installing its doors, including locks and security[z] bars. They also rebuilt 1,000 cubits[aa] of the wall[ab] as far as the Dung Gate. 14 Rechab’s descendant[ac] Malchijah, ruling official of the Beth-haccherem district, repaired the Dung Gate, reconstructing it, installing its doors, its locks, and its security[ad] bars.
15 Colhozeh’s son Shallum, ruling official of the Mizpah district, repaired the Fountain Gate, reconstructing it, installing its doors, its locks, and its security[ae] bars, as well as the Pool of Shelach near the royal garden as far as the stairway that descends from the City of David.
16 Next to him Azbuk’s son Nehemiah, ruling official of half of the Beth-zur district, carried on repairs as far as the tombs of David, then to the artificial pool that had been installed there, and then as far as the military barracks.[af] 17 Next to him the descendants of Levi, led by[ag] Bani’s son Rehum, carried on repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, ruling official for half of the Keilah district, did repairs for his district. 18 Next to him their brothers, led by[ah] Henadad’s son Bavvai, ruling official for the other[ai] half of the Keilah district, carried on repairs. 19 Next to him Jeshua’s son Ezer, ruling official of Mizpah, repaired another section near the ascent to the armory at the Angle.[aj] 20 Next to him Zabbai’s son Baruch worked valiantly on another section from the angle of the wall[ak] as far as the door to the house belonging to Eliashib the high priest.
21 Then next to him Uriah’s son Meremoth, grandson of Hakkoz, repaired another section from the door of Eliashib’s house as far as the rear of the property,[al] 22 Next to him the priests, men from the plain, carried on repairs. 23 Next to them Benjamin and Hasshub carried on repairs near their house, followed by Maaseiah’s son Azariah, grandson of Ananiah, who worked beside his own house. 24 Following him, Henadad’s son Binnui repaired another section from Azariah’s house to the angle of the wall,[am] and then to the corner. 25 Uzai’s son Palal carried on repairs over against the angle of the wall[an] at the tower that stands out from the king’s upper palace, which is located by the royal guard’s court. Next to him, Parosh’s son Pedaiah carried on repairs. 26 (Now the Temple Servants[ao] were living on the Ophel as far as the Water Gate that faces eastward with its prominent tower.) 27 Next to Pedaiah,[ap] the Tekoites repaired another section from the prominent tower as far as the wall of the Ophel.
28 The priests carried on repairs from above the Horse Gate as far as their own houses. 29 Then next to them, Immer’s son Zadok did repairs as far as his own house. Next to him, Shecaniah’s son Shemaiah, custodian of the East Gate, carried on repairs. 30 Next to him, Shelemiah’s son Hananiah and Zalaph’s sixth son Hanun repaired another section. Next to him, Berechiah’s son Meshullam carried on repairs up to his chamber. 31 Next to him, Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried on repairs up to the house of the Temple Servants and the merchants, up to the Muster Gate as far as the ascent to the corner. 32 Between the ascent of the corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and merchants carried on repairs.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2 When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated,[a] all of them were together in one place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw tongues like flames[b] of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign[c] languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.
5 Now devout Jews from every nation on earth[d] were living in Jerusalem. 6 When that sound came, a crowd quickly gathered, startled because each one heard the disciples[e] speaking in his own language. 7 Stunned and amazed, they asked, “All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren’t they? 8 So how is it that each one of us hears them speaking in his own native language:[f] 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the district of Libya near Cyrene, Jewish and proselyte visitors from Rome, 11 Cretans, and Arabs, listening to them talk in our own languages about the great deeds of God?”
12 All of them continued to be stunned and puzzled, and they kept asking one another, “What can this mean?”
13 But others kept saying in derision, “They’re drunk on sweet wine!”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up among the eleven apostles[g] and raised his voice to address them:
“Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand something, so pay close attention to my words. 15 These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it’s only nine o’clock in the morning.[h] 16 Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.[i]
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will even pour out my Spirit
on my slaves, men and women alike,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will display wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below:
blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will become dark,
and the moon turn to blood,
before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord.[j]
21 Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord[k] will be saved.’[l]
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